neuroscience

A patient’s very own skin cells may hold the key to new treatments and even cures for devastating neurological diseases. A generous $1 million donation from Mr. J. Sebastian van Berkom, and critical partnerships with Brain Canada, Laval University, Marigold Foundation and the FRQS-Réseau Parkinson Quebec are driving an innovative, iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) research platform that will transform research into Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.

Twenty-two students from four Montreal area high schools will assemble at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro at McGill University on April 2nd to be quizzed about synapses, axons and other cerebral facts in the international contest known as the Brain Bee. The winner will go on to the Canadian National Brain Bee at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. The national winner travels to Australia for the International Brain Bee.

The Neuro has been at the forefront of epilepsy treatment and research for over half a century. The “Montreal Procedure” developed by Dr. Wilder Penfield and colleagues revolutionized the surgical treatment for epilepsy, allowing thousands of patients to start new lives free of seizures. The use of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the study and treatment of epilepsy was pioneered at The Neuro.

A protein commonly found in human cells could be an important switch that activates cancer cell metastasis, according to a new study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro at McGill University and the MUHC. The finding focuses attention on a biological mechanism that until now was largely overlooked. The discovery of the protein’s effect significantly expands our understanding of epithelial cancers such as breast and lung cancer.

This Saturday, February 21st twenty CEGEP students will meet at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, at McGill University and the MUHC for a unique chance-to test their skills at ‘brain’ surgery. These students were prize winners at the Bench to Bedside Conference for Youth 2015 - geared at stimulating student career interests in medicine, surgery and medical research.

Years ago, children were warned that smoking could stunt their growth, but now a major study by an international team including the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University and the University of Edinburgh shows new evidence that long-term smoking could cause thinning of the brain’s cortex. The cortex is the outer layer of the brain in which critical cognitive functions such as memory, language and perception take place. Interestingly, the findings also suggest that stopping smoking helps to restore at least part of the cortex’s thickness.

How does the brain grow and develop in childhood and aging? How does brain activity shape and unfold within milliseconds? How does our brain respond to objects, faces, food, and music? How is the brain affected in drug abuse, multiple sclerosis, depression? How can we better prepare for neurosurgeries?